Will Jimmy Graham be the Premier Tight end in the NFL that He is Expected to Be?

Jimmy Graham had a questionable season as a tight end for his first year in Seattle. Fans, coaches, and his new teammates all expected to see an explosive spectacle from the new tight end, but he barely out shined Luke Willson, who he replaced in the starting lineup.

The six foot seven, 265 pound tight end was expected to out match defenders with his size and speed (4.6 forty yard dash). However, number 88 had only 2 touchdowns in his eleven games, a huge disappointment; he was expected to be a substantial red zone threat.

Some argue that Graham didn’t have explosive numbers because he had to learn a new system. Back in New Orleans, Graham was used to a lot of timing passes from Drew Brees; he would turn and then the ball would be there. With Russell Wilson, he had to get used to a scrambling quarterback, pushing him to make himself open beyond what the play was called for.

I think many Seahawk fans expected Jimmy Graham to be the next big Super Bowl caliber tight end, destined to lift the team to another Super Bowl win.

Some of the best teams to win the Super Bowl had superstar tight ends. Dallas had Jay Novacek, Denver had Shannon Sharpe, and New England has Rob Gronkowski.

Graham should only improve as he continues to play with the Seahawks. When he finally started to shine, he had the season ending patellar tendon injury, but he’ll be back. Number 88 had 48 receptions for 605 yards and 2 touchdowns. Really, he didn’t do that bad. He was most likely on his way to a 1,000 yard season, and if he would have scored more touchdowns, Seahawk fans would have been more satisfied with the new recruit.

So Seahawk fans will have to wait and see if the average $8.9 million yearly salary ($40 million on his total contract) will be worth it. But I think Graham will start rolling after a few games into next season. At 29, he’s a seasoned veteran and with his size and speed, it makes him one of the quickest and biggest tight ends playing today. Graham should get back to being a red zone threat, and hopefully get back to his career average of over 9 touchdowns a season.

14.

Seattle Seahawks Fall in Super Bowl

The New England Patriots battled through a nailbiter of a match to win Super Bowl XLIX, which ended in a physical altercation between several players.

Tom Brady led the New England Patriots to the 28-24 victory over the Seattle Seahawks at the University of Phoenix stadium in Glendale, Az. The Seahawks defense intercepted two of quarterback Brady's fully inflated passes, but it would be a New England interception in the final minute of the game that would seal the victory for the Patriots.

12.

The 10 Dumbest Coaching Decisions in NFL History

It's always entertaining when NFL head coaches call what they think is a really good play or a really smart decision and then that decision goes completely wrong. Unless it's your team, then it's terrible.

GoLocalPDX took at look at the 10 dumbest coaching decisions in NFL history.

10

Alex Morgan is Gone and Portland Thorns Fans are to Blame

The face of U.S. women’s soccer, the cover girl of EA Sports FIFA 16, and one of the most recognizable athletes in all of sports, Alex Morgan, is no longer with the Portland Thorns, and it’s all your fault. Because of your relentless support and record-setting attendance, Portland was able to give in to the request of its most recognizable player, sacrificing star power in favor of gathering more talent and potential to make the Thorns a better team. Much better.

9.

Let’s face it. You are a billionaire and while you don’t like to lose money, you own the Trail Blazers and the Seahawks for the fun of it and the thrill of competition.

You’ve obviously succeeded with the Seahawks (though I still don’t care).

And while your 25-year track record with the Trail Blazers is much more middling, the fact that the Trail Blazers remain in Portland owes much to you. In other words, your sports legacy in Seattle is secure in Seattle and probably intact in Portland, save another “Jail Blazers” stretch.

But if you want to cement your legacy in Portland – and have a blast doing it – bring the Coyotes here.

8.

Oregon’s Football Uniforms No Longer a Joke

It didn’t happen overnight, and it didn’t happen solely because, but Oregon’s uniform revolution kick-started a metamorphosis of previously ugly ducklings into a sports nation of flourishing fowl. The Ducks of today are not the Ducks of 20 years ago, and the punchline they were due to the innovative route they chose to take has become the road more travelled for everyone else trying to catch up. They’re winning at an unprecedented rate, generating revenue at an unprecedented level, and attracting attention from prospects from unprecedented regions of the country. It isn’t and accident and it isn’t a joke anymore.

6.

Marcus Mariota Selected #2 Overall to Tennessee

With the number two pick in the 2015 NFL Draft the Tennessee Titans selected Marcus Mariota.

While at Oregon he was the perfect role model. He was never seen doing anything he wasn’t supposed to do. He even made weekly visits to the Boys and Girls Club located in Eugene, Oregon. The only hiccup on his record was when he got a speeding ticket during the season. Yet, he paid it off immediately and accepted that he was in the wrong. This is something that Duck fans desperately needed to see after witnessing Jeremiah Masoli, Cliff Harris and Colt Lyerla not live up to their full potential because of poor decisions made off the field. To many Duck fans this is what made Mariota so special.

4.

Brandon Roy’s Life After Basketball

Due to a number of knee ailments that dated back to his college days Roy was forced to retire from the NBA at the age of 28. It was later discovered that Roy suffered from degenerative knees, an ongoing issue that would provide additional problems in the future if he were to continue with his NBA career. Roy made the tough decision to call it a career after the 2012-2013 season.

Since his retirement from the NBA Roy has found another way to stay involved with the game that has brought him plenty of success.

2.

Will Marijuana Use Cost the Ducks the National Championship?

Multiple reports surfaced late Friday that freshman Darren Carrington would be ineligible for Monday’s national championship against Ohio State for failing a random drug test, supposedly registering a positive for marijuana.